Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1887-02-17

upon Which Sab tluutu OWL huu
stuffed eagle glaring down into the
dusky room. About the walls werc
several cabinets Of minerals, shells end
curious stones, and some shelves of
old books, In the corners were snow
shoes, bows and arrows, and rusty
tomahawks, and in one sword with
soldiers coat of tho Mexican war
hanging over IL. A long ink-bespat.
tered desk stood between the windows,
Uttered with books, papers, Indian ar
row-heads and pipes.
John Earling could not suppress
little quake he had, upon coming from
the beautiful, well-lighted rooms across
the hall into this somber, almost fright
full place. The old lawyer picked up
big pipo made Of some Kind OF red
rock with long stem, and going over
TO the mantol filed and lit it at one of
two candles burning there, and, turn
ing TO the young man who stood look
ing about him, ierked his thumb In the
direction of the room they had left and
said; "You see | keep the child IN
clover Only way TO manage woman,
\ you know. Downl Feathcr-ticksl
Snumw The old man turned about
with a shrug and took up a candle
from the mantel. Now, here" he
said, starting toward one of the cabi-
nets. but John Earling interrupted him
with smile: "You only believe in soft
living. then, as kind of medicine"
he asked
The old lawyer stopped and looked
at him. LAD. ho said. "it's good
enough for females aud too good for
men. Nothing will turn man into
poodle so quick as - fcathcr-tick;
snuml / believe in hard beds, fard
chairs, hard floors. and-I was going
to say-hard hearts; for | haven't had
much experience with any other kind.
Yes, there is q soft one clicking away
in the breast Of little girl In the other
room, though it's willlul as lightnin'.
sometimes, and l guess yours would
be soft enough only it's too Internal
honest Can't be honest with q bowl
OF Jelly for a heart, you know" This
last as he pulled open the door of a
cabinet OF minerals.
John Earling, standing by the old
lawyer with his hands behind him,
smiled. Zone has at least to be rather
hard-heartcd with himself. sometimes,
in order to do right said he.
The old mans eyes twinkled rs he
held the candle up by his head and
rummaged In the cabinet. "Yts,h he
said, being good amt exactly eating
pie always on this earth, and expect
on the other side of the black creek il
won't ontitle ms TO always sit around
among the flowers eatin' the honey
bags of bees aud drinkin' dew out of
tubc-roscs either. 1t might If we could
be good enough, perhaps, but when
one goes to figuring on the beauty and
blesscdness Of the Place Of Posics he
don't want to forget that humanity is
rotten mess. Purgatory is n necessi-
~, it seems TO me; kind Of cleanin :
up place, you know"
The old man gave a short laugh, and
drew out something from the cabinet.
"Now here, for instance, he began, ''is
half of bomb-shcll that saw knock the
brain-bowl from a poor devils shoul-
derS at Buena Vista. You see ! have
wired into il this pure white shell,
called a "Lily," from the Indian
Ocean; one is the work of man, the 9th.
er the work of God. Fine pair oi
shells, amt they? OF course, man.
suffers little in the comparisOn!' and
the old lawyer broke into low bitter
kind of laugh. John Earring took
them into his hands and stood looking
at them, while the old man tapped hi,
foot little and began humming q
gruf sort OF tune rs he rummagod in
the cabinet again.
One of the shells was very white and
-hapely and vcined with crystal anC
pink, aud the other black and ragged
If edge, and veined with glazed BLOOD
and some short yellow hairs. Will,
the Young man looked at them h,
heard Maun running her fingers Over
the Keys of the piano, fetching It'll,
-prays and low flights Of sound, ana
when lac handed the shells back hi,
eyes were wet.
The old lawyer hal something else
in his hand, which. splitting quickly
he began talking about lie went OF
about the room so, discour,ing of thi
and tlat object, and presently came tC
the desk between the windows, aud In,
'andle's light being thrown on tn,
wall above IL, John Earling started
back with a cry. A long serpent
skin was hanging there, spang.ed, and
striped, and glittering against the wall
The old man laughed at the momen'
larry horror in the young mans eyes
and gave the broad flashing hide ;
stroke downward with the backs o.
iis crumpled fingers. ''Hc was a fine
fellow" he said. II cot him in Mexico
and come near making meal for III,
re per in the bargain Wh1t splen
ia belt his skin would mnk for th,
Devil or his court Haric4 NJ
John Earing smiled and shudderedi
Il hardly admire snakes enough to un'
lcrstuni how you can allow this thing
here" he said
"Oh, my admiration for snake,
ONES from old association, pre-
sumc," said the old man. IL have
hccn great deal with them, for in.
stance and he pushed the serpent
skin TO one side disclosing the minatur,
portrait of a dark-cyed Spanish woman
langing under IT, John Earring looked
It it moment and turned his eyes
upon the old mans face. The old law
-cr let the skin swing back over the
picture and went toward tho door.
Come. let's listen to the child play a
il, ," lac said lit will soon lie time for
YOU 70 be going. / expect
The young man followed him into
he parl)r half smiling at the old
aan's well-known brusqucnoss IN dis-
sing Of people. as wtll as lH.s scnsi-
live things, and Maun, who was sitting
1t the piano, got mp and foated toward
hem in her soft willowy way aud gave
hem seats.
'Playus bit, child" said the father
play us The storm '" And the
Young girl went back 10 the piano at
the end Of the room. with John Earl.
ng's eyes feeding upon that musical
notion Of hers, and flashing her cxqui.
,ite fingers along the keys in a kind Of
IreluIe. began a low. patlcring move
ment, like the soft miuglng Of wind